Queen shocked at how 14th great-grand uncle Richard III was found under car park | Daily Mail Online comments The Queen has expressed her shock that the remains of her 14th great-granduncle were found beneath a car park. She made the remark about Richard III at an event honouring higher and further education institutions at Buckingham Palace, where the University of Leicester’s archaeological team that helped uncover the remains of king were praised. Professor Sir Bob Burgess, vice chancellor of the University of Leicester revealed that the Queen asked if it was true that Richard III was really found buried under a car park. The Queen (pictured left) asked if it was true that Richard III was really found buried under a car park. A 3D model of the king is pictured right ‘The Queen wanted to know if the remains were really found under a car park, but generally she seemed well-informed about the dig,’ said Sir Bob. Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 - ending the Wars of the Roses and the Plantagenet dynasty - and his body was taken to Leicester by supporters of the victorious Henry VII and buried in Greyfriars church.

RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share His remains were found under the car park owned by Leicester City Council on the former site of the church. ‘The project illustrates the power of research and how it can fire the imagination of the public. The discovery of Richard III has helped to develop the heritage of Leicester and put the city on the map,’ Sir Bob said. The Queen has expressed her shock that the remains of her 14th great-granduncle, Richard III were found beneath a car park. This diagram shows how she is related to the infamous king HOW THE QUEEN IS RELATED TO RICHARD III Richard III George VI Elizabeth II The University of Leicester and the Ministry of Justice will visit the High Court on March 13, to argue the legality of an exhumation licence, which gives the university control of Richard III's remains. A total of 17 universities were honoured at the Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. The University of Dundee was recognised by the Queen for its work on the areas of human anatomy, forensic human identification and facial reconstruction. Academics at Dundee were responsible for carrying out a facial reconstruction of Richard III based on the skull found in Leicester.

Caroline Wilkinson, professor of craniofacial identification at the University of Dundee, led the work which used CT scan data from the remains to reconstruct a 3D bust version of what Richard III would have looked like. ‘Leicester approached us with the CT data and we used imaging software to build his face. The likeness was so strong that I had to do it three times just to make sure,’ said Professor Wilkinson. Richard III is to make history by becoming the first to have his genetic code sequenced. Scientists want to map the king’s DNA before his remains and any samples taken from them, are reinterred. They hope the work will reveal information about the dead monarch’s hair and eye colour and shed light on his ancestry and links to people living today. Researchers also hope the sequencing will provide more details about the king's susceptibility to diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes. Experts have already learned that besides being a hunchback, the king was badly infected with roundworm, a once common parasite in the UK. A battle-scarred skeleton with a twisted spine, pictured, was unearthed by archaeologists in a Leicester car park in 2012.

It was later identified as that of Richard III Dr Turi King, from the University of Leicester, who is leading the gene sequencing project, said: 'It is an extremely rare occurrence that archaeologists are involved in the excavation of a known individual, let alone a king of England. 'At the same time we are in the midst of a new age of genetic research, with the ability to sequence entire genomes from ancient individuals and with them, those of pathogens that may have caused infectious disease. 'Sequencing the genome of Richard III is a hugely important project that will help to teach us not only about him, but [stir up] discussion about how our DNA informs our sense of identity, our past and our future.' Results from the analysis of King Richard III's bones will be made available to historians, scientists, and interested members of the public. KING RICHARD III: THE CONTROVERSIAL AND DISEASED MONARCH Richard was born on in 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire.

During the War of the Roses, Richard's father, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York was killed and in 1470, Richard and his brother Edward were exiled when Henry VI, from the rival house of Lancaster, took back the throne. Henry's reign was short lived and during a battle the following year, Edward became king. In 1483, Edward died and Richard was named as protector of the realm for Edward's son and successor, the 12-year-old Edward V. Edward V and his brother Richard were placed in the Tower of London and after a campaign to condemn the deceased king's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, the princes were declared illegitimate. Richard III took to the throne the following day. He was crowned in July and in August that year, the two princes disappeared, Rumours claimed the king had killed them to remove any threat they may have posed to his reign. In 1485, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond launched an attack on Richard III on Bosworth Field in Leicestershire. Many of Richard III's key lieutenants defected and he was killed in battle. Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII.

It has been confirmed that Richard III had a curvature of the spine, although rumours of a withered arm haven't been verfied form the bones found in the Leicester car park last year. Last year scientists discovered the king was riddled with roundworm after finding large numbers of the parasite’s eggs in soil taken from Richard III’s pelvic region. The find suggests that the king’s intestines were infected with roundworm during his life. Body found under parking lot is King Richard III, scientists prove - CNN.com Body found under parking lot is King Richard III, scientists prove By Bryony Jones, CNN Updated 9:11 AM ET, Tue February 5, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: The remains of King Richard III In 2012, experts began digging away at the area and established that it was part of the friary and that a skeleton, hastily buried in an uneven grave, was that of King Richard III, who was killed in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III Mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones was matched to Michael Ibsen, a Canadian cabinetmaker and direct descendant of Richard III's sister, Anne of York. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III Scientists at the University of Leicester say their examination of the skeleton shows Richard met a violent death: They found evidence of 11 wounds -- nine to the head and two to the body -- that they believe were inflicted at or around the time of death. Here, the base of the skull shows one of the potentially fatal injuries. This shows clearly how a section of the skull had been sliced off. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III The lower jaw shows a cut mark caused by a knife or dagger. The archaeologists say the wounds to Richard's head could have been what killed him. Hide Caption Photos: The remains of King Richard III A wound to the cheek, possibly caused by a square-bladed dagger, can be seen here.

Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III This hole in the top of the skull represents a penetrating injury to the top of the head. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III Two flaps of bone, related to the penetrating injury to the top of the head, can clearly be seen on the interior of the skull. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III The image shows a blade wound to the pelvis, which has penetrated all the way through the bone. Hide Caption Photos: The remains of King Richard III Here, a cut mark on the right rib can be seen. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III As the skeleton was being excavated, a notable curve in the spine could be seen. (The width of the curve is correct, but the gaps between vertebrae have been increased to prevent damage from them touching one another.) Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: The remains of King Richard III The body was found in a roughly hewn grave that experts say was too small for the body, forcing it to be squeezed into an unusual position.

The positioning also shows that his hands may have been tied. Hide Caption Story highlights DNA evidence says remains found under parking lot are those of Richard III Archaeologists found the body of a man buried beneath a car park in Leicester last year DNA tests confirm "beyond reasonable doubt" the identity of the bones Supporters of Richard III hope the discovery will mean history has to be rewritten DNA tests have confirmed that human remains found buried beneath an English car park are those of the country's King Richard III. British scientists announced Monday they are convinced "beyond reasonable doubt" that a skeleton found during an archaeological dig in Leicester, central England, last August is that of the former king, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones was matched to Michael Ibsen, a Canadian cabinetmaker and direct descendant of Richard III's sister, Anne of York, and a second distant relative, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Experts say other evidence -- including battle wounds and signs of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine -- found during the search and the more than four months of tests since strongly support the DNA findings -- and suggest that history's view of the king as a hunchbacked villain may have to be rewritten. Ibsen said he reacted with "stunned silence" when told the closely-guarded results. "I never thought I'd be a match, and certainly not that it would be so close, but the results look like a carbon copy," he told reporters. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Skeletal remains are of Richard III 01:40 The skeleton was discovered buried among the remains of what was once the city's Greyfriars friary. After centuries of demolition and rebuilding work, the grave's exact location had been lost to history, and there were even reports that the defeated monarch's body had been dug up and thrown into a nearby river. Read more: Richard III: The king and the car park? The remains will be reburied in Leicester Cathedral, close to the site of his original grave, once the full analysis of the bones is completed.

Richard III's body was found in a roughly-hewn grave, which experts say was too small for the body, forcing it to be squeezed in to an unusual position. Its feet had been lost at some point in the intervening five centuries, but the rest of the bones were in good condition, which archaeologists and historians say was incredibly lucky, given how close later building work came to them -- brick foundations ran alongside part of the trench, within inches of the body. What was initially thought to be a barbed arrowhead found among the dead king's vertebrae turned out instead to be a Roman nail, disturbed from an earlier level of excavation. Archaeologists say their examination of the skeleton shows Richard met a violent death: They found evidence of 10 wounds -- eight to the head and two to the body -- which they believe were inflicted at or around the time of death. Read more: Back from the grave, King Richard III gets rehab "The skull was in good condition, although fragile, and was able to give us detailed information," said bioarchaeologist Jo Appleby, who led the exhumation of the remains last year.

The king had suffered two severe blows to the head, either of which would have been fatal, according to Appleby. The injuries suggest that he had lost his helmet in the course of his last bloody battle. Appleby said there were also signs that Richard's corpse was mistreated after his death, with evidence of several "humiliation injuries," which fitted in with historical records of the body being displayed, naked, in Leicester before being laid to rest. Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the project said the unusual position of the skeleton's arms and hands suggested he may have been buried with his hands tied. Investigators from the University of Leicester had been examining the remains for months. Others got their first glimpse of the battle-scarred skull that may have once worn the English crown early Monday when the university released a photograph ahead of its announcement. Read more: Will Richard III discovery rewrite history? Turi King, who carried out the DNA analysis, said it was a "real relief" when the results came through. "I went really quiet.

I was seeing all these matches coming back, thinking, 'That's a match, and that's a match, and that's a match.' At that point I did a little dance around the lab." King pointed out that "in a generation's time, the DNA match would not have been possible, since both individuals used in the tests are the last of their line," a fact echoed by Ibsen, who told CNN before the results came through that "they caught us just in time." The initial discovery of the remains provoked much debate in Britain as to what would happen with the body, if it were proven to be that of Richard III, with many calling for a state funeral at Westminster Abbey, and others backing a burial in York Minster, in keeping with the king's heritage as a member of the House of York. Opinion: Richard still the criminal king But on Monday those involved in the search said he would be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral, the closest church to the original grave site in a memorial service expected to be held early next year.

Canon Chancellor David Monteith said it was important to remember that as well as being the subject of important historical and scientific research, the skeleton also represented "the mortal remains of a person, an annointed Christian king," and as such should be treated with dignity. Supporters of the infamous king, including members of the Richard III Society, hope the discovery will now force academics to re-examine history, which they say has been tainted by exaggerations and false claims about Richard III since the Tudor era. Screenwriter Philippa Langley, who championed the search for several years, told CNN she wanted "the establishment to look again at his story," saying she wanted to uncover the truth about "the real Richard, before the Tudor writers got to him." "This has been an extraordinary journey of discovery," Langley said. "We came with a dream and today that dream has been realized.

This is an historic moment that will rewrite the history books." Skeleton found in car park is that of Richard III – as it happened | UK news | The Guardian News blog Skeleton found in car park is that of Richard III – as it happened • Live updates as researchers reveal that remains are those of English king killed at Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 And that's it from me. Thanks for all the comments. 1.53pm GMT Summary Here's Maev Kennedy's full news story on today's announcement, and here is a summary of what we’ve learned. • Tests have established that a skeleton found under a car park in Leicester is that of Richard III , king of England from 1483-85. Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the project at the University of Leicester, said that his team had proved “beyond reasonable doubt” that the bones were those of the last Plantagenet king. • DNA evidence from the skeleton matches with that from Michael Ibsen, a Canadian who is a direct descendent of Richard’s sister Anne of York.

In addition, evidence of battle wounds on the skeleton, and features of the remains such as their curved spine, provide a “highly convincing case” for this being Richard, Leicester’s Dr Jo Appleby said. • His death was probably caused by one of two injuries to the base of the skull, both inflicted with a bladed weapon, Appleby said. • Richard’s body will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral in a multi-faith ceremony, probably early next year. Work has already begun on designing a new tomb there, a temporary exhibition will open on 8 February, followed by a permanent visitors’ centre telling the story of Richard’s life and death. A £10,000 donation for a new tomb for the monarch has already been received by the Richard III Society. 1.49pm GMT My colleague Patrick Barkham has produced this run-down of things to do and see in Leicester, which is now set to become one of the UK's top tourist hotspots. 1.14pm GMT My colleague Maev Kennedy has been speaking to Michael Ibsen, the Canadian-born furniture maker now proved as the descendant of Richard’s sister. Ibsen heard the confirmation on Sunday and listened to the unfolding evidence in shocked silence.

He told Maev: My head is no clearer now than when I first heard the news. Many, many hundreds of people died on that field that day. He was a king, but just one of the dead. He lived in very violent times, and these deaths would not have been pretty or quick. Mathew Morris, who first uncovered the body, in the first hour of the first day of excavating the site, told Maev: I’m a medievalist really. I don’t go much for the Tudors. Even if Richard did kill the princes in the tower, you have to judge him by the standards of his day – no other medieval king would have taken the risk of leaving them alive. The story of the princes in the tower was infamous even in Richard’s day, as Maev reports: “the child Edward V and his brother Richard, declared illegitimate when Richard III claimed the throne, imprisoned in the tower of London and never seen alive again.” Work has already begun on designing a new tomb in the cathedral, only 100 yards from the excavation site, Maev reports, and Canon David Monteith said a solemn multi-faith ceremony would be held to lay him into his new grave there, probably next year.

12.39pm GMT Maev Kennedy sends this picture of a subdued Michael Ibsen, descendent of Richard III's sister Anne of York, saddened by the account of the king's fearsome death. Michael Ibsen. Photograph: Maev Kennedy/The Guardian 12.37pm GMT My colleague Charlotte Higgins seems to share some of Mary Beard's scepticism about the value of today's discovery, and disquiet about the way it was announced. I'm not saying it's not good fun, and indeed mildly interesting, that the remains of the last Plantagenet king have apparently been found.

(We should note that the bone evidence is clearly circumstantial – a skeleton with curvature of the spine and battle injuries does not a king make, though I can't claim to know enough about DNA evidence to understand what the margin of error is here, particularly before the findings have been published in a peer-reviewed journal rather than just announced in a press conference.) I'm just suggesting that it's rather a limited avenue of historical research that seems to have much to do with the dread word "impact" – in which academics are supposed to show that their work has "real-world" effects, whatever that might mean, though often interpreted to include public recognition and media coverage. The affair as a whole – notwithstanding the undoubted integrity, skill and commitment of the individuals at work – seems to me to have been managed in a way that is more about fulfilling the dead-eyed needs of the Research Excellence Framework (the highly contentious new scheme for assessing university research) than with pursuing a genuinely intellectual field of enquiry ... Watching the press conference on TV, I'm afraid (even though it was designed for attendance for people just like me) give me the chills. Yes, it raises awareness of the University of Leicester .

Yes, it shows people the work of archaeologists and other experts, and draw interested people in to the discipline (not least potential students). Yes, no doubt it will help the department secure funding (which is surely what all the jamboree was about, in the end). All of that is fine. But it's not really history, not in any meaningful sense. 11.52am GMT Historian Helen Castor , an expert on the 15th century, tells the Guardian she thinks the find is significant: For what it's worth, I think it's an extraordinary story of archaeological detective work to have found the body, and the anatomical analysis will mean we now have some facts with which to calibrate our reading of both contemporary evidence and Tudor propaganda about Richard's appearance, and the accounts of his death at Bosworth. So in those senses [it is] significant. Updated Summary Here is a summary of what we’ve learned this morning. • Tests have established that a skeleton found under a car park in Leicester is that of Richard III, king of England from 1483-85.

Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the project at the University of Leicester, said that his team had proved “beyond reasonable doubt” that the bones were those of the last Plantagenet king. • DNA evidence from the skeleton matches with that from Michael Ibsen, a Canadian who is a direct descendent of Richard’s sister Anne of York. In addition, evidence of battle wounds on the skeleton, and features of the remains such as their curved spine, provide a “highly convincing case” for this being Richard, Leicester’s Dr Jo Appleby said. • His death was probably caused by one of two injuries to the base of the skull, both inflicted with a bladed weapon, Appleby said. • Richard’s body will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral, probably early next year. A temporary exhibition will open there on 8 February, followed by a permanent visitors’ centre telling the story of Richard’s life and death. A £10,000 donation for a new tomb for the monarch has already been received by the Richard III Society. Jo Appleby shows the press one of the injuries to Richard III's skull, on 4 February 2013.

Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters 11.30am GMT The skull of Richard III. Photograph: AP 11.05am GMT A £10,000 donation for a new tomb for Richard has already been received by the Richard III Society, Maev Kennedy reports. 10.45am GMT Sir Peter Soulsby, the mayor of Leicester, confirms that the king's body will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral. He says he has written to the acting dean of the cathedral formally entrusting the remains to the cathedral. From 8 February there will be a temporary exhibition there, and a permanent visitors' centre will be opening next year, telling the story of Richard's life and death. He hopes that will be open at a time to coincide with the reinterment, which will take place early next year, he thought. Updated It's Richard III Richard Buckley returns to announce the team's conclusion. He says that it is their academic view that "beyond reasonable doubt the individual exhumed at Grey Friars on September 12th is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England".

Updated at 10.40am GMT 10.38am GMT Geneticist Dr Turi King says both the individuals who helped with the DNA analysis – Michael Ibsen and another person who has asked to remain anonymous – are "the last of their line" – so in a generation comparing DNA in this way would not have been possible. DNA analysis of the remains was difficult, but they did manage to get a sample of DNA to work with. The DNA confirms this is a male. She shows part of Michael Ibsen's DNA sequence, which verified the family tree Schürer set out. There is a DNA match from the descendents of Richard III and the skeleton at Grey Friars. The DNA evidence points to these being the remains of Richard III, she says. Updated at 12.31pm GMT 10.34am GMT Prof Lin Foxhall speaks next, saying we may now have to re-evaluate what we know about Richard III's life. Prof Kevin Schürer then says the team can confirm the lineage from Anne of York to Michael Ibsen is good.

10.31am GMT Skeletal evidence provides 'highly convincing case' that this is Richard III Dr Jo Appleby has said the evidence from the skeleton provides a "highly convincing case" for this being Richard III. Updated Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist, speaks next. He says no information about the Grey Friars buildings have survived. The precinct is now crossed by two streets and extensively built over - so finding it would always be a long shot, he says. Buckley says he chose to investigate two trenches in the social services car park there. The team discovered evidence of a burial in the first trench almost immediately. In the second trench they seemed to find parts of the church. 10.05am GMT Taylor says that following the dissolution of the monasteries, the trail goes cold. Popular legend has it that an angry mob threw his remains in the river. He invites the team to present their evidence. Updated The press conference is just beginning now. 9.58am GMT Professor Sarah Hainsworth of the engineering department has been working on microtomography imaging of the skeleton, Maev reports.

It has two injuries to the base of the skull, one to the crown (not that crown), and more to the ribs and pelvis. "He had literally been through the wars," Maev notes. 9.57am GMT A bit of a clue courtesy of Maev Kennedy in Leicester: Sarah Levitt, head of Leicester museums, says they'll be opening a display at the Guildhall in a week - and a whole new visitor centre in the old Alderman Newton school, right by the excavation site, next year. Sarah Levitt. Photograph: Maev Kennedy/The Guardian 9.39am GMT Maev Kennedy has just been speaking to Phil Stone, the chair of the Richard III Society, which funded the search for his remains. Stone calls this "a very exciting day". The thrill of the chase has more than doubled membership to 3,000, he says. They have nothing to do with the Tudors, "but we do meet the Stuarts every now and then, at Fotheringay and such". 9.38am GMT The University of Leicester has provided TritonE recorder players to soothe journalists' savage breasts, Maev Kennedy reports.

They have also rerecorded all Radio Leicester's jingles and idents in Plantagenet style for today. The hall is filling up fast, says Maev, who sends this picture of Bob Savage of the Royal Armouries, whose expertise on medieval war injuries could be crucial. Bob Savage of the Royal Armouries. Photograph: Maev Kennedy/The Guardian Updated at 9.46am GMT 9.32am GMT Good morning. At around 10am today, researchers are due to announce whether a skeleton found underneath a car park in Leicester is that of Richard III. We’ll have live coverage here as they reveal whether the bones really are the remains of the last Plantagenet king of England, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. We’ll be hearing from my colleague Maev Kennedy, who is in Leicester and wrote this excellent summary of where we stand for today’s Guardian. The University of Leicester, which has been leading the project, is refusing to speculate on what the result will be. But archaeologists, historians and local tourism officials are all hoping for confirmation that Richard’s long-lost remains have been found.

The university has released an image of the skull, which archaeologist Jo Appleby said was “in good condition, although fragile”. Since the discovery, researchers have been conducting scientific tests on the remains, including radiocarbon dating to determine their age. They have also compared its DNA with samples taken from Michael Ibsen, a Canadian believed to be a direct descendant of Richard’s sister Anne. Lynda Pidgeon of the Richard III Society told the Associated Press: It will be a whole new era for Richard III. It's certainly going to spark a lot more interest. Hopefully people will have a more open mind toward Richard … With Henry VIII you've got six wives, sex and things going on. It's a bit hard to compete with that when you are a bit more straight-laced, as Richard was. Richard III ruled England from 1483-85, during the Wars of the Roses, and was defeated at Bosworth Field by the army of Henry Tudor, who took the throne as Henry VII. He was the last of the Plantagenet dynasty to rule, and was immortalised in one of Shakespeare’s history plays. Laurence Olivier as Richard III in 1955.

Photograph: ITV/Rex Features The location of his body has been unknown for centuries. As Maev writes : “Although stories say his body was dumped in the river, many believe the body was claimed by the Franciscans and buried hastily but in a position of honour near the high altar of their church – exactly where the remains were found.” Last September archaeologists looking for Richard dug up the skeleton of an adult male who appeared to have died in battle. He appears to have a battle wound in the skull and a barber metal arrowhead was found between vertebrae in his upper back. The skeleton also displays signs of curvature of the spine, which is consistent with contemporary accounts of Richard III’s appearance. (Shakespeare added the famous hunchback.) Stay tuned for live coverage of the announcement from 10am. Updated Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's - BBC News BBC News Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's 4 February 2013 Close share panel Media captionThe skeleton is 'beyond reasonable doubt' the remains of Richard III A skeleton found beneath a Leicester car park has been confirmed as that of English king Richard III.

Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the monarch's family. Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, from the University of Leicester, told a press conference to applause: "Beyond reasonable doubt it's Richard." Interactive: Twisted bones reveal a king Mr Buckley said the bones had been subjected to "rigorous academic study" and had been carbon dated to a period from 1455-1540. Dr Jo Appleby, an osteo-archaeologist from the university's School of Archaeology and Ancient History, revealed the bones were of a man in his late 20s or early 30s. Richard was 32 when he died. His skeleton had suffered 10 injuries, including eight to the skull, at around the time of death. Two of the skull wounds were potentially fatal. One was a "slice" removing a flap of bone, the other was caused by bladed weapon which went through and hit the opposite side of the skull - a depth of more than 10cm (4ins). 'Humiliation injuries' Dr Appleby said: "Both of these injuries would have caused an almost instant loss of consciousness and death would have followed quickly afterwards.

Who was Richard III? Image copyright University of Leicester Richard was born at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire, where Mary Queen of Scots was later executed As Duke of Gloucester, Richard took a rampant white boar as his sign His coronation took place in Westminster Abbey, in a ceremony very similar to HM the Queen's Richard had one of the shortest reigns in English history - 26 months He was the last English king to die in battle, killed by the forces of the future Henry VII Testing Richard's bones - how does DNA analysis work? "In the case of the larger wound, if the blade had penetrated 7cm into the brain, which we cannot determine from the bones, death would have been instantaneous." Other wounds included slashes or stabs to the face and the side of the head. There was also evidence of "humiliation" injuries, including a pelvic wound likely to have been caused by an upward thrust of a weapon, through the buttock. Richard III was portrayed as deformed by some Tudor historians and indeed the skeleton's spine is badly curved, a condition known as scoliosis. However, there was no trace of a withered arm or other abnormalities described in the more extreme characterisations of the king.

Missing princes Without the scoliosis, which experts believe developed during teenage years, he would have been about 5ft 8ins (1.7m) tall, but the curvature would have made him appear "considerably" shorter. Dr Appleby said: "The analysis of the skeleton proved that it was an adult male but was an unusually slender, almost feminine, build for a man. "Taken as a whole, the skeletal evidence provides a highly convincing case for identification as Richard III." Richard was a royal prince until the death of his brother Edward IV in 1483. Appointed as protector of his nephew, Edward V, Richard instead assumed the reins of power. Edward and his brother Richard, known as the Princes in the Tower, disappeared soon after. Rumours circulated they had been murdered on the orders of their uncle. Challenged by Henry Tudor, Richard was killed at Bosworth in 1485 after only two years on the throne. DNA trail He was given a hurried burial beneath the church of Greyfriars in the centre of Leicester. Mr Buckley said the grave was clumsily cut, with sloping sides and too short for the body, forcing the head forward.

University of Leicester findings Image copyright AFP • Wealth of evidence, including radiocarbon dating, radiological evidence, DNA and bone analysis and archaeological results, confirms identity of last Plantagenet king who died over 500 years ago • DNA from skeleton matches two of Richard III's maternal line relatives. Leicester genealogist verifies living relatives of Richard III's family • Individual likely to have been killed by one of two fatal injuries to the skull - one possibly from a sword and one possibly from a halberd • Ten wounds discovered on skeleton - Richard III killed by trauma to the back of the head.

Part of the skull sliced off • Radiocarbon dating reveals individual had a high protein diet - including significant amounts of seafood - meaning he was likely to be of high status • Radiocarbon dating reveals individual died in the second half of the 15th or in the early 16th Century - consistent with Richard's death in 1485 • Skeleton reveals severe scoliosis - onset believed to have occurred at the time of puberty • Although about 5ft 8in tall (1.7m), the condition meant King Richard III would have stood significantly shorter and his right shoulder may have been higher than the left • Feet were truncated at an unknown point in the past, but a significant time after the burial "There was no evidence of a coffin or shroud which would have left the bones in a more compact position. "Unusually, the arms are crossed and this could be an indication the body was buried with the wrists still tied," he added. Greyfriars church was demolished during the Reformation in the 16th Century and over the following centuries its exact location was forgotten.

However, a team of enthusiasts and historians managed to trace the likely area - and, crucially, after painstaking genealogical research, they found a 17th-generation descendant of Richard's sister with whose DNA they could compare any remains. Joy Ibsen, from Canada, died several years ago but her son, Michael, who now works in London, provided a sample. The researchers were fortunate as, while the DNA they were looking for was in all Joy Ibsen's offspring, it is only handed down through the female line and her only daughter has no children. The line was about to stop. Tomb plans But the University of Leicester's experts had other problems. Dr Turi King, project geneticist, said there had been concern DNA in the bones would be too degraded: "The question was could we get a sample of DNA to work with, and I am extremely pleased to tell you that we could." She added: "There is a DNA match between the maternal DNA of the descendants of the family of Richard III and the skeletal remains we found at the Greyfriars dig.

"In short, the DNA evidence points to these being the remains of Richard III." In August 2012, an excavation began in a city council car park - the only open space remaining in the likely area - which quickly identified buildings connected to the church. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Richard's villainous reputation owes much to the way he was characterised by Shakespeare The bones were found in the first days of the dig and were eventually excavated under forensic conditions. Details of the reburial ceremony have yet to be released, but Philippa Langley from the Richard III Society said plans for a tomb were well advanced. She said of the discovery of Richard's skeleton: "I'm totally thrilled, I'm overwhelmed to be honest, it's been a long hard journey. I mean today as we stand it's been nearly four years. "It's the culmination of a lot of hard work. I think, as someone said to me earlier, it's just the end of the beginning.

"We're going to completely reassess Richard III, we're going to completely look at all the sources again, and hopefully there's going to be a new beginning for Richard as well." The Discovery of Richard III by the University of Leicester Multimedia and links In August 2012, the University of Leicester in collaboration with the Richard III Society and Leicester City Council , began one of the most ambitious archaeological projects ever attempted: no less than a search for the lost grave of King Richard III. The last English king to die in battle. Incredibly, the excavation uncovered not only the friary of Grey Friars but also a battle-scarred skeleton with spinal curvature. On 4th February 2013, the University announced to the world's press that these were the remains of King Richard III. Read about the background to the search, the discovery and identification of the remains - and the implications for our understanding of history... The New Evidence The paper detailing the genetic and genealogical research has been published. It also includes a statistical analysis of all the evidence and comes to a conclusion about the probability of these being the remains of Richard III.

Richard III: Council Car Park Skeleton Is King Weather Richard III: Council Car Park Skeleton Is King The skeleton, with severe trauma to the skull, was unearthed on the first day of a three-week dig. 10:39, UK, Monday 04 February 2013 Mail Remains found beneath a council car park in Leicester have solved the 500-year-old mystery about the final resting place of King Richard III, archaeologists say. Researchers said they had concluded "beyond reasonable doubt" that the skeleton, which showed evidence of an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, was the monarch. There were cheers at the University of Leicester as the announcement was made. Bone specialist Jo Appleby said a study of the remains provided "a highly convincing case for identification of Richard III". Image Caption: The remains were found on the first day of a three-week dig "The analysis of the skeleton proved that it was an adult male but was an unusually slender, almost feminine, build for a man. This is in keeping with historical sources which describe Richard as being of very slender build," she said.

DNA samples from Michael Ibsen - a Canadian-born furniture maker who is a direct descendant of Richard's sister, Anne of York - provided further certainty. Video: King's Portrayal Unlikely To Change Dr Turi King, the project geneticist, said: "There is a DNA match between the maternal DNA from the descendents of the family of Richard III and the skeletal remains we found at the Greyfriars dig. "In short, the DNA evidence points to these being the remains of Richard III." The skeleton, with severe trauma to the skull, was unearthed on the first day of a three-week dig at the site of what is believed to have been the choir of Greyfriars Church. Historical records show the long-lost church was the burial site of the monarch, following his brutal death at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The remains were found in good condition - with feet missing - at a depth of 68cm. The hand were crossed over the front of the pelvis and there was no evidence of a coffin or shroud found. The king's remains will now be reinterred at Leicester Cathedral, the nearest consecrated ground, in keeping with archaeological practice.

Shakespeare portrayed Richard III as a hunchbacked tyrant but modern historians argue that the king was the victim of Tudor propaganda. His brief reign from 1483 saw liberal reforms, including the introduction of the right to bail and the lifting of restrictions on books and printing presses. Richard III was the last Plantagenet monarch, a Yorkist defeated by Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII. "It will be a whole new era for Richard III," the Richard III Society's Lynda Pidgeon said. "It's certainly going to spark a lot more interest. "Hopefully people will have a more open mind toward Richard." Top Stories Richard III remains found under a Leicester car park, believe archaeologists | Daily Mail Online show ad Have they found Richard III?

Archaeologists searching for 'tyrant king' under Leicester car park find skeleton with a curved spine and metal ARROW in its back Teeth and femur from the skeleton, which was buried without a coffin, set to undergo DNA testing at an undisclosed laboratory Barbed iron arrowhead was found between vertebrae of the skeleton’s upper back Also has spinal abnormalities and an individual form of spinal curvature, consistent with accounts of Richard III Richard III: Leicester welcomes king's remains - BBC News BBC News Richard III: Leicester welcomes king's remains 22 March 2015 Media captionAerial footage shows the cortege travelling through Leicester King Richard III's remains have arrived at Leicester Cathedral ahead of his reburial. His funeral cortege entered the city at the historic Bow Bridge after touring landmarks in the county. Cannon were fired in a salute to the king at Bosworth, where he died in 1485. His coffin will be on public view at the cathedral from 09:00 GMT on Monday. He will finally be reinterred during a ceremony on Thursday. Richard's skeleton was found in 2012 , in an old friary beneath a car park.

Media captionA procession in period costume heralded the arrival of the cortege at Bosworth The former king's coffin, which is made of English oak from a Duchy of Cornwall plantation, emerged during a ceremony at the University of Leicester. Archaeologists, academics, researchers and descendants of Richard III's family, including Michael Ibsen who built the coffin, placed white roses on it during the ceremony.

Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption The university's chancellor led a short ceremony before the cortege departed Image copyright AFP/Getty Image caption Canadian carpenter Michael Ibsen, a descendant of King Richard III's family, took part in the ceremony Image copyright EPA Image caption Richard III's cortege toured Leicestershire before reaching Leicester Cathedral Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Bishop of Leicester, the Right Reverend Tim Stevens, led a short ceremony at Bosworth Image copyright AFP Image caption Re-enactors fired cannon during a salute to Richard III as his remains returned to the battlefield Image copyright Reuters Image caption Prayers were said for "forgiveness and humility in the face of our own mortality" at St Nicholas Church Image copyright Reuters Image caption Knights led the horse-drawn procession through Leicester Image copyright Reuters Image caption Richard III's coffin reached Leicester Cathedral just before 18:00 GMT Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Richard III's remains were found under a car park in Leicester The reburial procession began at Fenn Lane Farm, believed to be the closest spot to where the king was killed. Ceremonies were held for the king as his cortege travelled through the county, including those at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Bow Bridge.

Ahead of the cortege arriving in Leicester, city mayor Peter Soulsby said: "It was from Leicester in 1485 that Richard rode out to battle and it was to Leicester that he returned, defeated, slung ignominiously across the back of a horse. "It's now our opportunity to put it right and to make sure this time that it's done with dignity and honour." However, campaigners who petitioned for Richard III to be reburied in York have described the events in Leicester as a "pantomime". Louise Hollingsworth wrote on Facebook : "The more I see of the undignified, money-grabbing pantomime surrounding King Richard III in Leicester this weekend, the more incensed I become." Media captionDescendants of Richard III's family placed white roses on his coffin at the University of Leicester After a service at St Nicholas Church, the coffin was transferred to a horse-drawn hearse before arriving at the cathedral via High Street and Grey Friars. The public will be able to view the coffin at the cathedral from Monday to Wednesday before a reinterment service on Thursday.

A spokesman for Leicester Cathedral has confirmed that the Queen has written a greeting that will appear in the order of service at the reinterment but details of the message's content will not be released ahead of the event.

Image copyright PA / University of Leicester Image caption The former king's skeleton was sealed inside a lead-lined inner casket known as an ossuary earlier this week DNA tests prove skeleton found in Leicestershire car park really is King Richard III | The Independent DNA tests prove skeleton found in Leicestershire car park really is King Richard III 528-year mystery of what happened to the body of the last Plantagenet King has been solved Monday 4 February 2013 11:25 BST Click to follow DNA tests prove skeleton found in Leicestershire car park really is King Richard III 1/3 King Richard III's complete skeleton King Richard III's complete skeleton 2/3 King Richard III, by an unknown 16th-century artist; King Richard's head Reuters; PA Remains found in trench one of the Grey Friars dig University of Leicester/Rex Features King Richard III's complete skeleton A skeleton found last year under a council car park in Leicester has been shown “beyond reasonable doubt” to be that of King Richard III who died in the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, experts have concluded.

A detailed forensic examination of the skull and bones, including DNA tests, has solved the 528-year mystery of what happened to the body of the last Plantagenet King, claimed the University of Leicester, which funded the archaeological dig. Radiocarbon dating has placed the age of skeleton within the time frame of Richard’s death, and the skull and bones bear the brutal hallmarks of being cut down on a medieval battlefield. The man also suffered severe spinal curvature, which would have made his right shoulder higher than the left. This is consisted with the Shakesperian notion that Richard, the “hunchbacked king”, had a deformed stature - but there were no signs of the fabled withered arm. Scientists said that the age of the man at death was between 30 and 33, which is consistent with the age of the 32-year-old king. He also had a slender, almost feminine physique, which matches historical descriptions of Richard. Crucially, DNA extracted from the teeth and bone match the two living maternal relatives of Richard who genealogy has been confirmed, university scientists said. The chance of this being a random match are only “a few per cent”, they added.

“It is the academic conclusion of The University of Leicester that the individual exhumed at Greyfriars in August 2012 is indeed King Richard III the last Plantagenet King of England,” said Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the four-year project. The genetic study used maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA extracted from two living relatives, a London-based carpenter called Michael Ibsen and an unidentified person who has also been traced through 16 generations of genealogical records to Richard’s elder sister, Anne of York. “We were very excited to find that there is a DNA match between the maternal DNA from the family of Richard III and the skeletal remains we found at the Greyfriars dig,” said Turi King, who carried out the DNA analysis. “The DNA evidence points to these being the remains of Richard III...The type of DNA we extracted is extremely rare, shared by only a few per cent of the population. Taken together with the other evidence, it is a very strong and compelling case,” Dr King said.

The announcement today at a packed press conference was the remarkable culmination of a quest that began more than four years ago when enthusiastic amateurs suggested that Richard may be buried under the car park of Leicester’s department of social services. “Everyone thought I was mad. It’s not the easiest pitch in the world to look for a king under a council car park...I’d like to thank Leicester City Council for allowing us to dig up their car park,” said Philippa Langley, a screenwriter and member of the Richard III Society. The skeleton was found in a grave dug under the choir of Grey Friars church, which stood on the site until the monstery was dissolved in the 16th Century. The man was buried with crossed wrists, suggesting he had been bound, and was slumped in a hole that was slightly too small for the 5ft 8in tall man, said Dr Buckley. Radiocarbon dating showed that the man lived between about 1455 and 1540, which is consistent with the 1485 battle at Bosworth, he said.

Jo Appleby, an osteologist at Leicester, said there were 10 separate sites of damage to the skeleton - 8 to the skull and 2 to the body - that occurred around the time of death. A large part of the base of the skull had been sliced off by a sharp blade, possibly a sword, and another part of the head had suffered a severe puncture wound, possibly by a halberd. Either of these wounds would have been fatal. There were other, non-fatal injuries to the cranium and the face that could have been caused by knives or daggers, Dr Appleby said. Other marks to the bones, especially the ribs and pelvis, suggest the body was further damaged once armour had been removed - which is consistent with Richard’s body being stripped and humiliated. “Examples of such ‘humiliation injuries’ are well known from the historical and forensic literature, and historical sources have suggested that Richard’s body was mistreated after the battle,” Dr Appleby said. The damage to the pelvis may have been caused by a blade being thrust into the right buttock of Richard’s body, possibly when it was slumped over the back of a pack horse when carried from Bosworth to Leicester, she said.

Richard III will now be buried in nearby Leicester Cathedral. In his bones: evidence from the grave Age Richard III: Died at age of 32 Sketeton: Estimated to have died between age of 30 and 33 Dating Richard III: Died in 1485 Sketeton: Radiocarbon dating estimates death between 1450 and 1540 Location Richard III: Historical records say he is buried in choir of Gray Friars Sketeton: Found in choir of same monastery Physique Richard III: Said to have twisted or deformed physique Sketeton: Suffered severe spinal curvature which began in adolesence Death Richard III: Slain in battle Sketeton: Shows damage by sharp blades (swords or daggers) Family Richard III: Supposed to be related through maternal line to two living descendents Sketeton: Maternal DNA of all three show perfect match More about: Richard III: Could the skeleton under the car park be the king's? | Science | The Guardian Archaeology Richard III: Could the skeleton under the car park be the king's? Remains at church near Bosworth Field battle site show signs of violent death and severe curvature of the spine Richard III's resting place?

The test results will take weeks to come through. In the meantime, actors pose at the site. Photograph: Gavin Fogg/AFP/Getty Images Thursday 13 September 2012 03.50 EDT First published on Thursday 13 September 2012 03.50 EDT Close This article is 4 years old Mouth swabs and DNA tests are to be deployed in the search for the lost remains of one of England's most reviled monarchs after the discovery of a deformed skeleton beneath a Leicester car park. The crooked spine of a long-dead warrior, complete with an arrow in its back and a gash across its skull, was found on the site of the Grey Friars church, where King Richard III is thought to have been buried in 1485 after losing his throne and his life at the battle of Bosworth Field. Archaeologists remain cautious about linking the bones with the king, but they describe it as "certainly warranting further detailed examination". Laboratory tests will now be carried out at Leicester University, whose archaeologists have been excavating the city centre site with the help of the Richard III Society .

Richard Taylor, from the university's team, told a press conference that the combination of deformity and probable death by violence justified paying closer attention to the skeleton. Among means available are swabs taken from a London furniture-maker, 55-year-old Michael Ibsen, whose late mother was identified some years ago as a 16th-generation descendant of the king by John Ashdown-Hill, a historian, genealogist and biographer of Richard III who is also part of the Leicester project. "We are not saying today that we have found Richard III," said Taylor. "What we are saying is that the search for Richard III has entered a new phase. The skull injury appears consistent with, although not certainly caused by, an injury received in battle. "A bladed implement appears to have cleaved part of the rear of the skull. We also believe that the individual would have had severe scoliosis, which is a form of spinal curvature. This would have made his right shoulder appear visibly higher than the left shoulder, and this is consistent with contemporary accounts of Richard's appearance. "Our focus is now shifting from the archaeological excavation to laboratory analysis.

This skeleton certainly has characteristics that warrant extensive further detailed examination." Richard Buckley, who led the excavation, said: "The skeleton is a very strong candidate indeed, but it's going to take 12 weeks for the DNA analysis to come through." A third member of the team, Dr Turi King, said: "We've taken teeth out under clean conditions from which we'll try and get DNA, so the analysis will be the next thing. The skeleton is in very good condition so I'm very hopeful." Both chroniclers and modern historians are ambivalent about Richard's "crookback", which featured in his denigration by the Tudor victors of Bosworth. Spinal curvature is thought more likely than the hunchback of many accounts, but descriptions of his body being displayed naked for three days before burial at Grey Friars are generally considered reliable. His remains are one of only two sets definitely lost in the history of the British monarchy, the other being those of the exiled James II, which vanished from the chapel of the English Benedictines in Paris during the French Revolution.

The bones of Richard's predecessor and nephew, Edward, whose probable murder, with that of his brother, in the Tower of London stained his uncle's reputation irremediably, officially rest in an urn at Westminster Abbey, although doubts about their authenticity have never been dispelled. The playwright Phillipa Langley, of the Richard III Society, who is working on a screenplay of the king's life, said: "I think that this is going to mean a great deal for research into Richard III and all those who are involved in learning about this much maligned king. I hope that more of the truth will come out and we will get to a more realistic perspective of the real man and not the Tudor myth."

Question: The remains of King Richard 3rd Were found under a car park in which city?
Answer: Leicester